New Beginnings by Kate Walker

I’ll admit that I was stuck for something to write about for today’s blog post. I’m in the last stages of finishing the latest book and my mind is focussed totally on that. It’s been a struggle to get this one written what with doing Valentine’s Day talks in several libraries and travelling to Wales for a weekend teaching writing romance . So I didn’t have much inspiration for blogging.

I thought about Wales, because I’ve just come back from there Spring – and Spring Cleaning but then I was looking back at some of my previous posts and I found that last year at this time I talked about those then! Hmm – nothing changes much in a year does it? The one thing that has changed is that I have a brand new book out in the shops this month and that always makes me smile. And recently I had news that made this one even more special.

As many of you know, I'm celebrating 25 years of being published - my first ever book, The Chalk Line was published in December 1984. In all those 25 years, one of the things I always dreamed of was to win the honour of having my book names as a Romantic Times Top Pick in the month it was out. It never happened - well, not until now. Several of my books earned the score of 4.5 stars, but none of them were ever awarded that elusive Top Pick.

Then suddenly, at the end of 2008, my November release, Bedded By the Greek Billionaire was the first of my books to be awarded the Top Pick for that month. I was thrilled. An ambition achieved. So imagine my delight when I just discovered that it's happened again. I just learned that my next release - The Konstantos Marriage Demand (Presents EXTRA March) has also been given the Top Pick selection for March. Once again I'm celebrating. And it’s every bit as much of a thrill the second time around.


I’m not quite sure what made this book so popular. (It’s been getting great reviews all over the place too). But I know one of the things that made it special for me when I was writing it and that was because there was the extra ‘edge’ to the background of my two central characters because I was writing about a long-standing, generations old-family feud.

But one of the great things about romances is that they always show how, with determination, open-mindedness, thought and – most importantly - love – the past can be put aside, the future opened up, and the characters can start afresh. That for me is one of the most important things about reading and writing romance. That whole sense of new beginnings when anything and everything is possible. And it’s perhaps what makes a romance the perfect reading for the start of spring when everything is new and starting over again. The trees are growing new leaves, the flowers are starting to push through little green shoots, ready to burst into bloom in a very short space of time. That’s why I always say that the endings of my books aren’t really endings – they are new beginnings.

I wrote this book at about this time last year when Spring was just around the corner. And now it’s being published at the beginning of Spring this year. I think that’s extra special. I love Spring and its promise of renewal and brighter days to come. And after a particularly hard winter with heavy snow, freezing winds and just lately far too much cold, pouring rain. And that’s why I love writing and reading romances too.

Do you agree? Is that why you choose romance to read? Or is it something else? I’d love to know.

PS To celebrate the publication of The Konstantos Marriage Demand I’m running a special contest with Lee’s help over on My Tote Bag. Why not check that out and see if you can win a copy of one of my books to help brighten your month and remind you that Spring is just around the corner?

And when I've written the happy ending/new beginning for my current hero and heroine and I get this book off my desk and on to my editor's then I'll be really ready for a whole new beginning all over again with another pair of characters.

Kate Walker's latest Presents release is The Konstantos Marriage Demand which will be out in Presents EXTRA on March 16th and is already available for pre-sale on eHarlequin.com.

Romantic Times called this a ‘ terrifically well-paced and fiery romance’ with a ‘very rewarding conclusion,’ and chose it as one of their series romance Top Picks for March.

And We Write Romance's reviewer says that:

There are many books released from Presents each month, but by far this is one you must pick up. It's a twist from the meet, fall in lust, fall in love type stories out there. This one is most definitely more intense. And while each character is flawed, they are perfectly written to make you want to see them succeed and come together.

You can find out more about Kate and her books by visiting her web site or get the really up to date news on her blog.